It has long been desirable to have portable livestock feeders which are transportable in a folded state to preserve space, such as when livestock are being moved or are away from a stable, corral or other permanent feeding location. A variety of portable feeders have been developed for this use, but all share two major drawbacks to successful practical use. One is excessive weight due to a number of metal parts and elements coupled with rods, bolts and other heavy locking mechanisms needed for the particular design to hold the feeders open and functional. A second reason is the amount of time necessary to assemble the prior art portable feeders for use, and then dismantle the feeders for transport. In many instances, when livestock are on the move, every moment is valuable, and a livestock owner does not have the luxury to spend excessive amounts of time assembling portable feeders for immediate use.
In many cases, such portable feeders are best mounted on the side of a horse trailer or other livestock moving vehicle. The feeder must be capable of being folded out for immediate use, without having to assemble the feeder using rods, bolts, nuts and other time-consuming assembly mechanisms.
It was therefore an object of this invention to provide a portable, folding feeder for livestock which is light and easily folded out with no loose or easily-lost parts.